Jack had called 911.
The perp had thrown some kind of acid in Ava's face. She needed something with a high pH to neutralize it. Alkaline water. Baking soda mixed with water. Something. Anything. The longer it remained on her skin and in her eyes, the more damage it would do.
The perp hit the sidewalk and sprinted as fast as he could. He was quick. I had to give him that.
I chased after him, sucking in breaths of air.
The punk glanced over his shoulder as he rounded the next corner.
I cautiously made the bend and spotted him as he darted into the street.
Cars screeched, and horns honked.
Obscenities were shouted.
The punk made it to the other side, unscathed.
With my badge held high, I dashed into the street and tried to avoid getting splattered as I continued my pursuit.
By the time I got across, the perp had ducked into an alley.
I followed, and he ran down the narrow passage, moving past parked cars and trash bins that backed up to an apartment complex.
At the end of the alleyway, he took another right.
In a suit and dress shoes, I didn't have as much traction as I would have liked.
I rounded the corner and chased after him.
He glanced over his shoulder again. There was still a good distance between us. I hadn't been able to gain much ground. Like I said, he was fast.
An old woman clicked her key fob and was about to climb into her car that was parked on the street.
The punk ran up to her, pushed her to the ground, snatched her keys, and climbed behind the wheel.
By the time I got to him, he had closed the door and started the car up. I drew my pistol from the holster in my waistband and took aim.
The punk stomped the gas. The tires barked, and the engine howled as he sped away.
I could have put a few bullets into him, but thought better of it.
I holstered my weapon and addressed the woman. "Are you okay?”
I knelt down beside her, looking her over for injuries. Her elbows were scuffed and bleeding.
She looked a little flustered. "I don't know. My hand hurts. I tried to brace my fall. I think my wrist is broken.”
It had already started to swell.
I called 911 and had them send an ambulance to the scene. I told the woman help was on the way.
“What about my car? Do you think I’ll get it back?”
“Most likely he’ll ditch it a few blocks from here.“
I called the sheriff, gave him the make and model, along with the plate number, and told him to put a BOLO out on the suspect. Tango One would be in the air in a matter of minutes. It was hard to escape the helicopter. If the perp had any sense at all, he’d dump the car quickly.
I waited with her until the ambulance arrived. EMTs and paramedics treated her. They transferred her to a gurney and loaded her into the back of the ambulance. They advised her to get a full evaluation and an X-ray on the wrist. She didn’t put up a fight.
